A Delicate Flower
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: Lilly is the youngest Jackson, one of a set of triplets. It's chaos in her family, anything from mild family mishaps to potentially life-changing and sometimes demigodly predicaments. T for possible swearing.
1. Finally!

**I'm rewriting the triplets' story- they're all having one each. This one is Lilly's one. **

**Apologies for not updating as often as I usually do this week, but it's been a **_**long**_** week. And for not replying to PMs- I'll get round to those tomorrow, hopefully! :D**

* * *

Sage had grown up, for the last four years, in a house full of brothers. For members of the typical male species, they were alright, often funny or nice to talk to or beat at Monopoly, but they were also very annoying. Which, according to Tobias, was a big brother's job.

This had Sage wondering. If a big brother's job was to be annoying, what was a big sister's job?

She had asked her father, who had laughed and ruffled her hair in that endearingly irritating fashion of his. Her brothers were much too like their father- Tobias in particular- so it was no use trying to get a straight answer from him.

It was every use prying an answer from her mother though. Annabeth was _very_ smart, being a daughter of Athena. Sage proudly took after her mother, having learnt to read days after her second birthday.

"What's a big sister's job, Mammy?"

"A big sister's job?" Annabeth repeated, smiling. Sage nodded, awkwardly clambering up onto the sofa next to her mother. "Well, it's whatever you make of it. Why?"

"Because Tobias said annoying us is his big brother job." Sage paused, mulling over her next words. Annabeth was pregnant with triplets, a few months along from what Sage could work out. "I don't know what to make of being a big sister. How'd you do it?"

"Any way you like, Sage."

"I don't have to be annoying, do I?"

"Not if you don't want to." Sage shook her head and her mother's smile brightened. "Good girl." Sage crossed her legs and watched her mother imploringly. "Big sisters aren't irritating like big brothers, as far as I know. I've always imagined big sisters to be someone to talk to who understands and will help."

"Will I get a sister or will there be more boys?"

"We'll find out later." Annabeth laughed softly, shifting slightly to get comfortable. Sage recalled that Annabeth had a baby scan that afternoon and, as long as her eldest two brothers behaved, they could all go and sit in the room to see what the triplets would be.

Sage awaited this scan in heavy suspense. Her parents had struggled to decide keeping these three babies a surprise and finding out what they were, but Sage had _pleaded_ with them to find out- she had to prepare herself if more brothers were on the way. Older or younger, they would surely be aggravating.

* * *

After bullying Tobias and Max into behaving, Sage got to sit eagerly at the foot of Annabeth's hospital bed. Her brothers were sat to the side of the room in uncomfortable plastic chairs. Percy was keeping a wary eye on them from his wife's side. His excitement was evident and rather infectious. Sage, even more than before, could not wait to discover her unborn younger siblings' genders.

The midwife arrived and organised the scan, Annabeth uttering a grumbled complaint of the coldness of the gel. On the screen, a blurry collection of baby silhouettes materialised, one of them seeming to wave vaguely at them.

"All perfectly healthy," The midwife assured. "Do you want to know what they are?" Percy and Annabeth nodded eagerly, their four children mimicking. The midwife was quiet for a moment, announcing, "Two boys and one girl!"

"Yes!" Sage beamed. Two brothers, OK, she would have to handle that. But she was getting a sister! That made everything worthwhile.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short, but it's all I've got for the mo :P **


	2. Not like them

Lilly was born last, which automatically gave her two brothers the idea that she was in dire need of 'protecting'. All her brothers were fiercely defensive of their two sisters- you upset one of them and you'll have five, possibly six, irate Jackson men on your case.

It wasn't that Annabeth, Sage and Lilly couldn't look after themselves. Well, Annabeth and Sage. Lilly had confidence issues.

Say some idiot were to try and take on her mother or her sister, they would most likely have to drag their broken carcass away, whimpering for their mama. With Lilly, this wasn't the case. She was unbelievably shy, preferring to stick to fantasy worlds, like Harry Potter, rather than reality.

Which is where Theo and Callum came in.

They were practically identical, except Theo had a scar on his upper arm from a training accident. That was the only way to tell them apart just by appearances alone, but the old wound was often covered by a sleeve.

Mercifully, there was another way to tell them apart- Callum was much louder and more hyperactive than Theo, sort of like a mini-Tobias, gods help them. Theo could be a bit like that, but he was mostly mellow and reserved, like Alvie.

Lilly could tell them apart no problem. She could see the differences in their eyes. Callum's were those of a trouble-maker, mischievous and daring, while Theo's were warm and brotherly.

There was another side to the pair though- one not so favourable or humorous. This was the one Lilly dreaded, because it meant someone was going to get hurt on her behalf. If you upset Lilly, you upset Theo and Callum and it would be a miracle if you lived to tell the tale.

Such a circumstance was happening now:

"Theo! Callum! Stop it!" Her words fell on deaf ears, her two brothers squaring up to Stephen James and standing protectively before Lilly. "Guys!"

Stephen could be funny and most loved him, but he was creepily obsessed with Lilly, flirting endlessly with some well-placed, but daunting innuendos.

An identical bob of curly blonde hair appeared in the periphery of her sight. "Sage! _Sage_!"

Her older sister turned, assessing the situation in seconds. Relief flooded through Lilly as Sage marched through the hastily parting crowd, who were falling silent from their 'fight, fight, fight!' chanting. Sage's best friend, Tyler, was scrambling after her, trying not to smile or drop her sudden load of books.

"How many times," Sage growled, shoving her two brothers aside and fixing a steely look of hatred upon Stephen, "do I have to tell you to _leave my sister alone_?!" Stephen visibly paled and took a step backwards. He flushed red at his involuntary retreat and attempted to meet Sage's eyes defiantly, clenching his hands into fists.

Lilly had hoped Sage would stop a fight entirely, but Sage had hated Stephen since day one.

She snatched Stephen by the front of his shirt with both hands, shaking him with enough force to make it feel like his brain was rattling about.

Tyler discarded of everything he was holding to nearby people and hurriedly tried to wrestle Sage away from strangling Stephen.

"Stop it, bad Sage, very bad Sage." He managed to drag her back, but she got a final whack in, clouting Stephen firmly across the jaw.

"Leave Lilly alone." She ordered, breaking free of Tyler. "'Cos you won't be as lucky next time."

"Oh yeah?" Stephen defied, his hand on his injured cheek. "What's a bitch like you gonna do?"

"_Sage_!" Lilly hissed despairingly. "Theo, Callum, _don't_!" All three of them were now raring to go, all of them itching to smash Stephen into a pulp. She and Tyler were standing there, clueless. You could intervene, but you'd get hurt.

Lilly could be such an idiot sometimes. Granted, she was smart, but she didn't always think things through. She had wanted Sage to stop their brothers from getting into a fight and now all three of them were involved.

Granddaughter of Athena her backside.

"Cut!" A new voice called. The atmosphere about the crowd changed instantly, smiles and laughter wriggling free. People parted for Charlie Valdez and his small group of friends.

Charlie looked at his cousins and Stephen in mock disappointment. "Honestly, Sage, you were supposed to hit him harder than that."

"I'm about to, don't worry." Sage growled, bunching her fists and not looking away from glaring at Stephen.

"You're doing it all wrong!" Charlie bounced forward fearlessly, playfully shoulder-barging his cousins aside and looking up at Stephen. "Shoo, go on, trot off." He waved Stephen away to no avail. "I mean it. You're ruining my whole plot for today."

"Your… your _plot_?" Charlie smiled sweetly.

"It's the one where you get strung up the flagpole by your boxers. I've got my camera and some popcorn if anyone wants it, but hey," Charlie shrugged, "your call."

"Oh, yeah, 'cos you're so threatening." The elfin boy just continued to smile and it quickly became eerie. "Idiots." Stephen grumbled, stomping away. Charlie darted forward and placed a note on the retreating kid's back: _Kick me_!

"Thank gods you turned up when you did, Charlie!" Lilly laughed feebly in relief, surging forward to hug her beloved cousin gratefully.

"I'm like Batman. Always in the nick of time." He looked at his other three cousins. "I know you don't like him, but _please_ not all three of you. I hate cleaning."

"It's tiring." Tyler agreed. "You OK, Lilly?"

"I am now."

She went to the library after that, loving the quiet and peaceful atmosphere and the smell of books.

Dropping into her favourite seat by the radiator, she curled up with her latest book and settled into another fantasy world.

She loved her siblings to pieces, of course she did, but she wished they wouldn't go to such lengths to solve problems. They had tempers, mostly dormant, but when they sparked, they_ sparked_.

But they had the nerve to do that; to stand up for what was right. Lilly couldn't do that, the mere thought of it terrified her. She was nothing like them. Sage was intelligent, far more than Lilly was, and the boys had varying oceanic powers. Alvie had his psychic abilities, a gift from Apollo combined with his Athenian heritage.

Lilly was just Lilly. She was no-one exciting. The youngest child of the famous Percy and Annabeth Jackson. She stood in so many shadows, she could barely see the sunlight.

* * *

**All made up on the spot, so if it's pants, I'm sorry! **


	3. Brothers

**I thought I was going to see HTTYD 2 at the weekend, but it isn't out yet! WHY WAS IT ON THE TV THEN?**

**To Awesome as Annabeth- OK,OK, I'll see what I can do, don't kill me :P Fight scene was all random, if I'm honest :D**

* * *

Percy doubled back to jog alongside Lilly.

"You OK, flower?"

"Peachy…" She gasped, stumbling. Her father grabbed her by the elbow, righting her almost effortlessly. "I'm _ill_; do I have to do this?"

"Yes!" Callum charged past, Theo behind him. How they could sprint in full armour, Lilly would never know.

"I said no talking!" Percy reprimanded playfully. "Another lap!" Theo groaned in defeat and dropped to his knees, collapsing sideways in a rather comical fashion. Callum mocked fainting and fell on top of his brother. Another thing that confused Lilly- one second, they were full of energy; the next, they were lying on the ground, quite literally dying.

Lilly prodded Callum experimentally with her foot, glad for the break. Callum moaned feebly in protest, Theo trying and failing to push his brother from him. He smiled mischievously at Lilly and she realised that they had known she wanted to stop the exercise. This was the result.

Their father managed to pull Callum to his feet, but Callum only toppled over the other way.

"I can't feel my legs, _Dad_." He whined childishly.

"_Saaaame_." Theo added in a similar tone. Percy looked from one to the other and then at Lilly. She could see it in his eyes- he had weird children and wasn't going to ask any more questions.

"OK, fine. Showers." Theo and Callum glanced at each other. Theo removed his helmet and weakly threw it- with a very manly 'eeeehhhh'- to his father's feet. It rolled miserably to a halt, staring up at Percy.

"No." He huffed, closing his eyes.

"It's either you go to the showers or five more laps."

"So this is what the Underworld feels like." Callum mused. "How marvellous."

"Marvellous?" Theo smiled bemusedly at the clouds. "Absolutely fantabulous."

"Spiffing." Callum agreed.

"_Now_." Percy ordered, flipping Callum's arm with his foot. "Go on, shoo."

"Five more minutes, Mom…" Callum mumbled, closing his eyes sleepily. Percy stared at him, agape. Lilly bit her lip to stop herself laughing, but Theo wasn't even trying to conceal his humour.

"I'll get Tobias." Both boys tensed, staring at their father if they were mad. Lilly looked at Percy too, wondering where he was going with this and what would happen next. "He hasn't had any ADHD meds for three years, so he's very, _very_ hyper."

"Five laps suddenly sounds good." Callum mused.

"Don't be ridonkulous, we _smell_." His brother countered, pushing himself up on his elbows and looking defeated.

"_You_ smell, you poo-face."

"_Boys_!" Lilly cut in. "Go!" She waved them to their feet and they scurried off down the hill, pushing and punching each other playfully.

"They're mad," Percy sighed, picking up Theo's helmet and brushing dirt from the blue plume, "but they're good." His eyes twinkled with a knowing look. "Pair of skivers." He chuckled to himself.

"They probably took lessons from Charlie and Leo." He nodded in agreement and passed over the helmet, waving her on.

Her brothers were good, that much was understood. They were a nightmare though.

* * *

She found them, half an hour later in the Poseidon cabin, wrapped in nothing but towels and hurling pillows at each other.

"Guys!" She hastily covered her eyes, not wanting to see her two brothers in all their glory.

"Oh, hey, Lilly." Theo ducked a pillow and lobbed one straight back. "Ha!" He cheered as it struck Callum in the face. "You alright, sis?"

"I'd be much better when you two learn what clothes are."

"_Pfft_, who needs clothes?" Callum scoffed good-naturedly, scrambling for another pillow.

"Dobby did." Theo pointed out.

"You bought Dobby into this! Prepare to _die_!" He gave a maniacal laugh, his pillow lunging through the air, end over end, thumping against the wall where Theo had been.

"Get _dressed_!" Lilly demanded. They didn't seem to hear her, bringing out their childish names to 'insult' each other again. "Fine, I'll just get the Aphrodite girls."

"What?"

"_No_!" All pillows flopped to the floor and they were dressed in less than half a minute.

"Good boys." Lilly smiled triumphantly. They didn't like the hyperactive, giggly daughters of Aphrodite. Theo looked shaken, Callum frowning down at himself. Something wasn't right. "Your T-shirt's on backwards." Lilly sighed pityingly.

"Oh."

"Honestly, what would you do without me?"

"Have naked pillow fights." Callum shrugged, carefree.

"_Callum_!"

* * *

"What's wrong, Lilly?" Alvie asked, setting a mug of hot chocolate in front of her. His hot chocolate was the best, the rich chocolatey scent floating around her like a heavenly cloud of sweetness with little marshmallows of delight.

"It's nothing." She told him, gently blowing on the steam billowing from her mug. She could see Alvie's blurred figure through the pale white, his stormy grey eyes narrowed at her suspiciously. He could, quite literally, see right through her, being a mind-reader and all.

Sighing, she set her mug down on the coaster, fussing over lining it up dead centre to buy herself some time. "It's just… I… I don't really feel like… I… I _do _anything. Like, you know, _worthwhile_." He stared at her, his eyes glazing over for a good minute and she suspected he had zoned out from the conversation.

"I used to think that." He eventually admitted, lowering his gaze to his own hot chocolate.

"But you've got all your psychic stuff and storm owls and-"

"I didn't always." He pointed at a marshmallow and it rose of its own accord, dripping hot chocolate. "I had help finding them and then the whole thing with Apollo, obviously." He flicked the marshmallow to the bin and sipped from the mug. "Besides, you've done a lot for Max."

"I have?"

"You were little," He frowned at his drink, "three, I think. Anyway, Max was going through the bad phase," They all knew what Max's 'bad phase' was- they didn't talk about it much, but they all knew. "He reached a new low and everything hit rock bottom, but you stepped in. Remember your panda?" Lilly nodded, picking at the marshmallows. "Hope. You gave Max hope."

"Great."

"It is." He nodded. "If you hadn't stepped in, he'd have…" His eyes darkened and he looked away, his hands shaking. Even now, years and years on, the memories of Max's 'bad phase' still haunting him. Alvie didn't express it verbally or did very well in demonstrating it, but he loved his brothers and sisters. The idea of losing one… completely incomprehensible.

"Thank you, Alvie." His eyes found hers again, confused slightly. "At least I can do something."

"You'll find something, Lilly." He paused, chewing his lip and looking disgruntled all of a sudden. "If I can, you definitely can."

* * *

**Sorry if it's not much. I've been trying not to seriously wound my brother until he's nothing more than a bloody splatter on wall. **


	4. Lilly?

**To Awesome as Annabeth- Very ingenious, how could I forget? :P Nope, just random. Most of what I write probably is just random. And I'm trying! Patience grasshopper! **

**To StonedGlory- I love creativity, but I love this idea of Lilly just making things appear out of thin air. It'd have to fit in with her heritage somehow though… Athena made stuff and any kids she have are brain kids, so…? And for your review on Chapter 3- That's very true, but Lilly is kind of surrounded by special powered and/or super smart people. But I've got this idea I'm working on… NO SPOILERS! For the Demeter kids though, I had a really random idea once- you know how they're all supposed to be so calm and one with nature and all that? What if there was an evil child of Demeter and he/she would kill people with plants or something? :D **

**I've bought this chapter forward a bit so you can have a proper update. Hope you don't mind, just bear in mind that Lilly is meant to be the nice one.**

* * *

Sage was awoken abruptly by her bedroom door creaking open.

"Sage?" Lilly whispered. "Are you awake?"

"Am now…" Sage rubbed sleep from her eyes with one hand and pushed herself up with the other. "What's the matter? Is Callum snoring again?"

"No, but Theo's talking a lot." Sage waved her hand absent-mindedly. Lilly sometimes came to sleep on the spare mattress under Sage's bed when her two brothers either snored or talked too much. The boys were weird, but you had to put up with them- they _were_ family after all.

Sage got up to help Lilly pull the mattress from under the bed and sort the sheets out. Normally, Lilly would update her on a dream or whatever Theo may have been talking about, but she remained unnervingly quiet.

"You OK?" She quizzed, plumping the pillow and dropping it in place.

"I think so." Sage looked at her questioningly. "Just tired, probably. It's not easy sleeping in a room with those two buffoons." Lilly _did _look tired, but something about her eyes was off- they were not as gentle as Sage had always known them to be; a ragged light distorting the sea green to darker shades.

"And there's nothing else?" She pressed carefully. "You know I'm here to help if I can."

"I know, thank you." Lilly fell onto the mattress and threw the blanket over herself. Sage returned to her own bed, punching her pillow into a comfortable state. "Sage?" Lilly called softly.

"Mm?"

"I think I'm getting irritated with the boys quicker and more often than usual."

"They get more annoying the older they get." Sage mumbled. "I don't blame you. I'd have killed them by now if I were you." Lilly just hummed, falling into a silence that lasted several minutes.

"You're probably right." Lilly concluded once Sage had thought she'd fallen asleep. "Night, Sage."

"Night."

* * *

Most would walk into the small bedroom the triplets shared and not notice Lilly first off. Theo and Callum drew the attention, play-fighting and bouncing from bed to bed as they threw bizarre insults at each other- "You eat toes for breakfast!"/ "Well, you're so fat; you can't even ___see_ your toes!"/ "You probably ate them!"

Lilly didn't often mind, but their brotherly bickering often proved a distraction; a distraction from her reading and a distraction to others to the point of her being all, but invisible.

This irked her, but she kept it quiet. Her brothers worried about her enough as it was- far too over-protective as far as she was concerned.

Turning the page of her book and ducking her head as Callum vaulted from his bed to Theo's on the right of hers, laughing and calling Theo a 'monkey poo', Lilly suppressed a sigh. She was all for going downstairs to read, but to simply cross the room would require the highest degree of health insurance.

She was snatched from ___The Maze Runner_ by a heavy ___thud_ and one of their childish 'ow's.

"Who's the best?" Callum grinned, pinning Theo on his front to the floor with his arm twisted behind his back. "Werewolves win every time! Say it!"

"Never!" Theo defied, grinning and trying to squirm free.

"Boys…" Lilly warned, slipping her bookmark in place curtly. They looked up at her simultaneously with identical looks of mischievous innocence. She stared back at them, unimpressed. Callum eventually relented and got up, pulling his brother to his feet.

With a wave of her hand, she had the two sit on their respective beds and face away from each other. Lilly gathered her book and promptly marched to the door.

Turning to look back at them, her hand on the cool metal of the door handle, she stated with more firmness than necessary, "Act your age, ___not_ your shoe size."

Theo waited until her footsteps had retreated before swivelling and meeting his brother's gaze.

"She's grouchy." They said together. Callum grinned. Theo managed a smile, but there were more pressing matters at hand. "What'd you think's bothering her?" Callum shrugged, looking awkward.

"Could it be a girl thing?" He asked, his voice low.

"A girl thing." Theo repeated, smirking. "You child."

"Hey, I'm acting my shoe size." He waved his foot at Theo, even though he wore no shoes. "What size shoe am I?" He quizzed, twisting his leg into a rather uncomfortable pose as if he could measure his foot any better like that.

"Seven. Same as me."

"Seven it is then."

* * *

"What's the matter?" Annabeth asked as Lilly flopped onto the sofa with an infuriated huff. When Lilly didn't reply, Annabeth drew her attention from her new architectural designs. "Lils?"

"I'm fine." Lilly retorted, flicking to her page and letting her bookmark fall to her lap.

"Are the boys being annoying?"

"When aren't they?" Annabeth frowned at her daughter, but Lilly didn't look her way, irritably continuing with her reading.

"Is everything else alright?"

"Perfect." Lilly muttered.

"Hungry?"

"No." Lilly had never been so blunt and had never denied food without a 'thank you'. Annabeth decided not to press Lilly for now, planning to keep a close eye on her instead, but this deteriorated change in behaviour and attitude puzzled Annabeth. Lilly had always been courteous and calm, even if her two brothers were at their peak of annoyance.

Setting her pencil down, Annabeth rose and went off for a coffee, slipping her cell from her pocket.

She put the kettle to boil and punched one on her speed dial.

"Sup, Wise-girl?" Percy answered on the third ring. Annabeth nudged the door closed, seeing her daughter still immersed in the book beforehand.

"Do you know what's wrong with Lilly?"

"Lilly? No, why? What's going on?"

"She just seems grumpy."

"Maybe it's just one of those days."

"She doesn't forget manners on _one of those days_." Annabeth replied curtly, placing her mug on the counter with more force than necessary. Percy was quiet for a moment, letting Annabeth regain control of her irritation. "Sorry."

"No need to apologise." He smiled. "Want me to come home?"

"I thought you were helping Chiron?"

"I was."

"_Was_?"

"I'm sitting on the beach now. Finished earlier than I thought I would." He paused and she could hear waves lapping onto the beach in the background. A pang of longing whipped through her and she wished to be on that beach with him, just for a moment, without a care in the world. "I can come home if you want."

"Are you sure you've finished working?"

"Mm-hm." He confirmed happily. There was a _plonk_ in the background. "Dammit…"

"What?"

"Hold on…" There was a rustle and then a series of _plinks_ and then a fainter _plonk_. "Much better."

"What are you doing?"

"Skipping stones. What are you doing?"

"Talking to an idiot."

"Well, aren't you just lovely? I'll be home in a bit. Love you, Wise-girl."

"Love you too, Seaweed Brain." She cut off just as the kettle finished boiling. "Lilly, d'you want a coffee or anything?" She called, keeping her tone as light as she could.

Lilly didn't reply.

Annabeth ventured out to get an answer, but saw Lilly had left her book on the sofa, open and face down.

Lilly didn't leave books like that. _Ever_.

* * *

By the time Percy got home via Blackjack half an hour later, Annabeth had her eldest three boys out searching for Lilly. Theo, Callum and Sage had been told to stay at home, something none of them were happy with.

"Why can't we go out and help?" Callum whined, half-heartedly hitting his brother with one of the cushions from the sofa. Theo barely seemed to notice, staring distantly into space. Sage was curled up in the armchair, her arms folded tightly across her chest and her knees drawn up. She was fuming that she couldn't leave and was determined not to look at either of her parents.

"Because we're going out," Annabeth declared, "and you're staying here in case she comes back."

"She's probably just gone for a walk." Callum grumbled, slouching sulkily in his seat. He put his feet in Theo's lap, pausing and then putting his right foot against Theo's face. His brother reacted then, jumping away and scooting to the end of the sofa.

"We're going to go and check anyway." Percy told them. "You know how horrible you lot are."

"I wonder where we get _that_ from." Sage muttered sarcastically, glaring at the arm of her chair. "Why do I have stay anyway?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on the boys." Annabeth gave a sympathetic smile, but Sage wasn't looking. "Come on, Percy."

* * *

Lilly poked the tip of her trainer into the dirty lake water. The ripples circled out, disturbing a cluster of ducklings into hurrying after their mother.

She set her foot on the water's surface and it held. Another step forward and she stood completely on the water. Someone started shouting behind her and then others joined in, but she paid them no mind, taking a few more cautious steps before breaking into a run.

Solidly sprinting across the water was exhilarating beyond measure. She fixed her eyes on the jaggedly round island in the very centre, about fifty metres in, and forced herself to run faster, water swirling and churning all around her. She heard screams back on dry land, but she didn't care. She should run on water more often.

The island approached far too quickly for her liking, but she scrambled up onto the embankments, slipping a fraction on the mud. The water of the lake was still roiling, great twists and turns of frothy brown water, snapping up onto the shore and sending people scurrying to safety.

_Stop_, a voice told her, _this isn't you_.

_Go away_, she ordered. She felt Athena's anger rumble through her, almost like thunder or the eeriness of a disembodied owl hoot.

_You must stop_, the goddess warned her_, you can't do this_.

"Well then, you don't know me at all." And throwing her hands out, Lilly had the whole lake surge up and engulf every inch of the park.

* * *

**:D **


	5. Boom

**To Awesome as Annabeth- I'm always being told that :P Random is awesome though- much more original and completely weird in some cases :D Yup, that's a TFIOS reference. I want to see the film for that, but then again, I don't! It's beyond sad! D: With Lilly, hopefully I've explained that in the chapters that I typed up yesterday… **

**This chapter is shorter than the others, I think, but I've also been working on Max's story, so a bit of credit please! :P**

* * *

It started with an emergency broadcast on the news; blurry, but distinct CCTV footage of a certain blonde running across water and other civilians swarming about in a panic. Parents grabbed children, the elderly hobbled along as fast as their hip replacements allowed them. The last of the park goers had just vaulted the fence when water cascaded down: dirty, smelly, angry water; water so cold, it burned.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the sky darkening with storm clouds the colour bruises and hatred. Rain slashed down with another, ear-damning burst of thunder, thick sheets of bitter rain that pelted exposed skin like knives.

Then it seemed to ease, the water receding into the drained lake and the rain warming to a noticeable degree.

There was a group, maybe a dozen people, pushing through the crowds, heading in the opposite direction. Seven of them had their hands raised, fierce looks of concentration on their faces. The other four were darting this way and that, calling for a 'Lilly'.

Two of those with their hands raised, a man and a woman of similar age with the same thick raven hair and sea green eyes, reached the lake first. Both of them stepped straight onto the water, as the blonde girl had, but instead of making it furious- or more so- they made it swell back into its container, as smooth as glass.

Lilly appeared then, on the edge of the island, screaming and raging and swirling her hands, green energy snapping from her fingers and urging the water into its previous, formidable state.

"Stop!" Percy shouted. "Stop this, Lilly!" He and Louisa tried to battle the elements, growing annoyed that something was amiss; something wasn't letting them fight back.

"No!" She screamed. Gone was the calm, sensible girl with a timid smile and a book in hand. Gone the level-headedness, the kindness. In her place, a deranged legacy, her pretty features contorted with an incomprehensible anger, power writhing and cracking in her palms, clawing up her arms.

"Lilly!" The Poseidon twins yelled together. The oceanic power swirled about Louisa and darted out in numerous tendrils; plunging into the storm, the lake, the rain. Percy battled on, allowing his sister to deal with the storms- something she was much better at than he was. He called his daughter's name again, but she shrieked for him to go away.

He willed the storm around him directly to clear, given him an unobstructed path straight to the island. Lilly howled in frustration, throwing out her hands to try and deter him.

"Why are you doing this?" He demanded as soon as he was on dry land, standing three metres from her.

The sea green of her eyes darkened, a shadow stirring to life. There was something there Percy had never seen, not in his daughter. It was not something he would have linked to Lilly.

"What's it to you?!" She challenged, her voice teetering on shrill. "You never noticed until it was too late!" Percy made to reply, but she swished her hand through the air, the power of the sea hurtling from her palm to slam straight into his chest.

He hit the ground, hard, but she was gone before she could see the results.

* * *

**Boom. **


	6. Uh oh

**To Awesome as Annabeth- sarcasm will only get you so far :P Weird would probably fall into that category, I don't know. Depends on my mood really :D Yes, beyond sad. You've read it, right? O.o Not bullied! Or possessed! I'm not entirely sure just yet, so PATIENCE! :D**

* * *

Louisa reached dry land, the other Jacksons and Valdezes swarming her as her knees gave way. She and her unconscious brother tumbled to the ground in a heap.

"Lou!" Leo pulled her free, holding her in his arms. "Say something, Lou, are you OK? What happened to Percy?" To Leo, she looked dazed and exhausted. Whatever she had done with the glowing energy had settled Lilly's power. It was a miracle in itself that she had collected her brother and walked right back across the lake, dragging his limp weight.

"'M fine…" She managed weakly. Elsie handed Leo a canteen of nectar and he helped Louisa drink it. She could see Annabeth leaning over Percy, trying desperately to wake him.

"Percy, gods damn you, wake up!" Warmth tingled through Louisa and she forced herself to sit up, leaning against Leo.

"He's over-powered."

"What?" Annabeth frowned at her. "What happened, Lou?"

"I don't know. I just saw Lilly hit him with this," A feeble, sea green sphere flickered to life briefly in Louisa's palm, "'n' hit straight here." She tapped her chest, just above her heart.

"Where's Lilly?" Theo asked quietly.

"She… just vanished… I… I don't know…" Leo gave her more nectar. "Sorry…"

"Alvie, can you track Lilly?"

"I'm trying." Alvie replied, his eyes closed. Annabeth gave a tight nod, redirecting her focus back to her husband.

"Percy!" She pinched his cheeks in the hope of awakening him, but he merely mumbled incoherently. "Lou, what- _over_-_powered_?"

"Too much sea power, knocked him right out. 'N' it hit him in the heart; that ain't good."

"Can you do anything?" Louisa, pale with exhaustion, freed herself from Leo's hold and pulled herself towards her brother. She dropped rather than set her hand over his heart, closing her eyes.

Thin stems of their unique power seeped over her hand and up her wrist, ebbing away in seconds. Percy stirred, but did not wake.

Louisa's shoulders slumped in fatigue and she would have toppled forward had Annabeth and Leo not grabbed her.

"Lou?" But she was asleep.

"Dad will be OK." Alvie told them. His eyes were open now, blazing the familiar, but ever daunting crystal white. "Give him an hour and he'll wake up."

"What about Lilly?!" Callum demanded, enraged. Alvie turned to face him, but it was hard to tell if Alvie was truly looking at him or staring in his general direction. Either way, it was unnerving.

"I'm still trying to find her." Alvie eventually said, his tone firm and holding a sense of monotony. Callum scowled at him, but said nothing.

* * *

Percy opened his eyes, pain riddling through his chest like a truck had smacked him there. Everything was momentarily fuzzy, but when it came into focus, he saw Tobias staring down at him.

"Hi!" Percy pushed him away jokingly. "Dad's awake!" He called. "Are you OK, Dad? How'd you feel?"

"Tired. And hyper." Tobias raised an eyebrow at him, confused. How could you be tired_ and_ hyper at the same time? "What happened?"

His eldest son didn't answer immediately, watching him carefully for a moment. Then he explained about how Lilly had over-powered Percy, scrambling his power-balance so much, he fell unconscious.

"And where is Lilly?"

"Alvie's still looking." Percy stayed quiet for a minute, weighing up his tiredness and his hyperactivity.

"Is Lou OK?"

"As far as I know, she's still asleep." Tobias furrowed his brow, as he always did when he was thinking. "That might be why you're tired." Percy nodded absent-mindedly in agreement, distracted by a relieved cry of,

"Seaweed Brain!" Tobias disappeared and Annabeth was suddenly there, throwing her arms around Percy's neck and hugging him fiercely. "Oh, thank the gods you're OK." Just as sudden her appearance was, she pulled back. "Bad Percy! Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear?!"

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." She watched him carefully for a moment before settling next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "How long was I out?"

"Not long. About an hour. Lou managed to extract most of the energy, but you had to deal with the rest on your own." Percy just nodded, placing his arm around her shoulders and breathing in the scent of her lemon shampoo. "I'm glad you're OK, Seaweed Brain."

"I always bounce back, what are you on about?" She smiled at him, some of her worry easing from her shoulders.

* * *

Lilly found herself on the beach at Camp Half Blood. The sun was just setting behind the horizon, casting an orange-pink glow across the ocean. Waves gently washed up onto her back and, at her mental inclination, coiled around her.

When she rose, she no longer wore her regular jeans and T-shirt, but a deep sea blue jumpsuit that was soft and cool. It shimmered like the water behind her, the sleeves flowing down over her hands and falling to her knees.

A twist of water about her head and her hair was pinned up, removed from the usual ponytail and fashioned into an elegant, curly topknot. The water solidified into a band of matching blue to her new attire and retracted to fit her hair into place, to hold it out of her face.

She started walking, realising she had been given a pair of boots of such a dark blue, they appeared black. She marched decidedly across the sand, releasing her power into the sky to bring havoc raining down on unsuspecting demigods.

* * *

**This is another short one, so apologies! I'm going to try and work on it hopefully over the weekend… but I also need those that have asked me to read their fics to message me so I can do that for you! :D **


	7. Bigger boom!

**To Awesome as Annabeth- And it's got me to Year 12, going on Year 13. After that… not sure :P Depending on my mood, different things are weird, if that makes any remote sense at all O.o Be an earthquake then, **_**picky**_**! I've no idea what we're talking about, but when do we? :D I see you've also changed your pic, very nice ;)**

* * *

"Percy, are you alright?"

"_Nooo_…" He complained, massaging his forehead and grimacing. Annabeth sat next to him, placing a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Something's not right…" He told her, opening his eyes a fraction to squint painfully at her.

The words had just left him when an IM flickered to life inches from there.

It was pandemonium at Camp and it was hard to hear what Chiron was yelling over the consistent booming of thunder and panicked screams of demigods.

"GET HERE NOW!" They managed to lip-read before an almighty, splintering crash tore through their vision and the IM.

They sat, stunned, for a mere handful of seconds, before scrambling to leave.

* * *

Lilly did not suspect her parents' arrival to be any time soon.

Or ever, for that matter.

Standing atop the hill of Camp Half Blood, she watched with cold delight as wave after wave hammered through cabins and people alike, the water so cold, it was a miracle it hadn't frozen.

Whirlpools guzzled down victims, hurricanes ripped them from whatever shelter they attempted to cower behind. Some had tried to defend their camp; others had tried to help those who were wounded in the initial tsunami.

Lilly was only warming up.

Thunder splintered the sky as the earth shook beneath their feet. Whatever remained of the old cabins was reduced to sodden piles of debris in a matter of heartbeats. All attempts of defending or healing were washed away in a torrent of venomously gloomy water.

She raised her hands, as though embracing the black-purple clouds thick above them. It was so dark and so cold; it could have easily passed for the worst winter's night ever tenfold.

Hurricanes folded from the sky and spiralled chaotically out in various directions.

No.

It wasn't just the camp that pitied and belittled her, that _doubted_ her, would suffer.

How many people had teased her for being quiet, for being shy, for being_ weak_ in comparison to her oh-so-beloved siblings?

Far too many.

And far too many were going to pay.

* * *

Callum flicked from news channel to news channel and they were all saying the same thing:

Wild hurricanes, an unbelievably gigantic storm cloud that stretched across the US and still going, earthquakes along the fissures, tsunamis along the coast lines- everywhere you looked, all over the country, a terrifying and befuddling scientific phenomenon. It laid waste to villages and towns; who knew what became of those who lived there.

In the end, he switched the TV off and glared at the blank screen. Theo bumped him half-heartedly with his shoulder, trying to offer some reassurance, but he was in no mood for it.

Sage sat across from the duo; marvelling, but understanding, why they were so atypically withdrawn and sullen. She had no words of comfort for them though. There wasn't a lot she could say on the matter, not with so many people outside.

The unfinished swimming pool her father, aunt and eldest brothers had been 'working' on for years had become a shelter for those left abandoned as Lilly's wrath swept through cities. Annabeth and some of her siblings who also lived in the city had put everything into organisation- scavenging parties were sent out for food and other supplies while Leo and some other non-demigod handymen (and women, let's not be sexist) took apart the cubicles to blockade as many windows and doors as they could.

Sage and her brothers got to stay in the office in the basement. Percy had insisted- his whole family was here; his children, his mortal parents, his nieces and nephew as well as Annabeth's mortal family. On her five brothers' insistence, she had been given the comfy leather chair and they refused to trade with her.

They all sat quietly, listening to the muffled howling of winds and booms of thunder. Alvie had his eyes closed and a look of intense focus. They dare not disturb him- they had no idea what he was doing and it was best not to ask until he opened his eyes and talked to them.

Tobias got up from his seat against the wall, pacing the room and rearranging random objects before sinking into a different on the floor. He would then fidget restlessly for five minutes before getting up and moving everything again. Having decided never to take his medication, he was really feeling the brunt of his strong ADHD.

Eventually, Max got up and caught Tobias by the arm, forcing him to sit next to him. They conversed in low Ancient Greek. Tobias shook his head, looking pained. Max said something else, Sage struggling to lip-read from where she sat, but whatever he had said annoyed Tobias and the eldest brother turned away and genuinely sulked.

Alvie broke the silence by inhaling sharply and jerking awake with such a force, he whacked a lamp from the cabinet next to him. Its shatter on the floor seemed to knock some sense into him.

"Alvie?" Tobias was up again, scrambling to crouch in front of Alvie, taking his blinded brother's hands in his own. "It's me, you're OK. What's the matter?"

"She… she's…"

"What?" Theo and Callum demanded in unison, leaning forward in agitated earnest.

"She's… she's going after Olympus…"

* * *

**Dun dun duuuh… **

**Not sure when I can update on this again 'cos it's my last pre-written chapter, but I'll try! :D **


End file.
